The Pittsburgh Penguins have some defensive depth. And they're going to need it.

Paul Martin, who has rebounded dramatically from a brutal 2011-12 and reestablished himself as a vital component of Pittsburgh's blue line, will miss six weeks with a broken bone in his "upper body," according to coach Dan Bylsma. A shot hit him in the hand/wrist on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets.

Paul Martin is second on the Penguins in ice time and plays difficult minutes. (AP Photo)

That puts him out for the duration of the regular season and the first round of the postseason. Pittsburgh is on a 14-game win streak, 27-8-0 overall and leads the Eastern Conference by seven points.

Martin plays tougher even-strength minutes than any other Pittsburgh defenseman, comprises half of a shutdown pairing with Brooks Orpik and is second on the team in ice time, trailing only Norris Trophy candidate Kris Letang. He also kills penalties and leads the second power-play unit.

Letang, coincidentally, is currently out with a broken toe, leaving Pittsburgh with a top six of Orpik, Matt Niskanen, Simon Despres, Mark Eaton, Douglas Murray and Robert Bortuzzo. Once Letang returns, he's "a good option" to play with Orpik, Bylsma said. Niskanen could also see more responsibility on the power play, particularly while Letang recovers.

Despres, a rookie, is most likely to see his role increase—his skillset is similar to Martin's, and he has improved throughout the season. As the only Pittsburgh defenseman who doesn't have to clear waivers, Despres was briefly demoted to the AHL last week to create space for Murray, a physical, slow-footed defenseman best suited for third-pairing minutes.